Why is it Illegal?

[Quickfeet]

I warned and strongly suggested that no one read my comment. I am sorry if you were personally offended. My crazy rant had nothing to do with you. It was just triggered by your comment.

I for one think we should be able to make OUR own decisions when it comes to our bodies.

Now that I in a normal state of mind. I still don't get how the baby is the womans body? They don't have the same DNA. So they would have the right to have the baby removed from them. But they wouldn't have the right to have it killed.

How was I offtopic? You implied that the baby is the womans body and she could do what ever she wants with it. So if she donates or sells her body (baby) for parts that's her decision not yours. The topic is people selling there organs for gain. I don't believe the baby is the woman's property, but your statement implied that you do. Growing babies for parts is not a new idea. Where do you think the fetal stem cells come from? The next step would be to allow them to mature in a surrogate until you can harvest their organs. I think it is a sick idea, but there are people that want to do it.

[okarol]

Most of the people that I know on dialysis (myself included) live at or below the poverty line and would never be able to find the money to buy a kidney, so we have no choice but to wait or hope that a member of their family grows a set and gets tested (yes, I have issues with my family over this). As Richard said, it would be the haves vs the have nots, and the have nots would lose yet again.  With lists and altruistic donations, it is more fair, because money or status in the community have no say in whether or not you get a kidney

There has been talk of a plan where the insurance or Medicare would pay a flat fee, like $5000, to the donor. The financial arrangement would be handled like any other medical service, pre-approved and covered as a medical expense. In the case of strangers donating, they need not ever meet the recipient if they do not wish to, and vice-versa, so there would be no manipulation or pressure on the donor or recipient. The donor would have surgery and UNOS (or similar agency) would allocate the organ to the person next on the list.
That is not to say I am in favor of buying organs, but this scenario would remove one of the concerns.

[cariad]

Bloody hell!!!! Would all of you please stop with the abortion debate? I really prefer not to know where anyone stands on this extremely sensitive and personal issue.

As a show of good faith, I will resist the urge to share my opinion on the matter. Please let it go. There is simply no way you are going to change anyone's mind by anything that you type.

Thanks in advance!!

As to the actual topic, the list could certainly be cleared of many more people with the opt-out policy. I am all for tax breaks, my state already has one in place that Gwyn will claim for 2010. It is not a lot, but it helps offset his time off work (did not qualify for FMLA as he is technically still self-employed). I don't know about insurance paying. It would have to be very equitable for me to like it - so that means through Medicare, everyone would have the option to pay their donor. I think $5000 is a good number - it would cover expenses for most people, but not much more. Anything extra would be taxed as income. The thought of the world suddenly viewing US renal patients as a lottery ticket makes me shudder.

I'm not totally convinced, though, based on the conversation I had with an Iranian doctor who already works in a system where organ sales are legal. Anyone interested in this really needs to find a way to view that BBC special from 2006 on Iranian organ sales.

[kristina]

After my kidneys first failed in 1971 I was told by a Professor of Medicine
that he did not think there was much of a future for kidney-transplants and/or Dialysis
and doctors urgently need to find another way forward.
He assisted me with my vegetarian diet and his medical advice
made my kidneys eventually recover to a function of 40-45%.

Perhaps there was some truth in what he said?
I mean, professionals know so much more about possible medical complications dialysis/transplant than we do?

That is why I hang on to my kidneys for as long as I possibly can and hopefully I am lucky again and my kidneys recover again?
I certainly will try my utmost best to keep them sweet & keep them functioning for as long as possible.

Last night there was an interesting discussion on the Radio about transplant/selling organs, presented by a lawyer   
and the end-result of the discussion was, that “selling organs” seems so complicated in the long run,
that the legislation of it would be too complicated,
and secondly the only likely way forward as regards receiving organs would be a blanket registration for everybody to donate organs when they died
and if an individual wished NOT to donate an organ after their death, they would have to opt-out;
but the down-side of this for such an individual would be, that they could never be GIVEN a life-saving transplant
if they came to the point where they needed an organ.

One matter which complicated the Radio-Discussion, and may need clarification, was, that
it was claimed that Jewish and Muslim people wish to be buried with all their organs?
This was not elaborated upon, so I do not know if this is true or whether it only affects specific groups?

Another interesting point came up when it was claimed that down-and-out Alcoholics/Drug-addicts
who desperately need money to survive, seem willing to sell almost anything,
so it was stated that these very vulnerable people in our society need to be protected.
 
So it seems organ-selling and organ-donation is a very complicated matter
and perhaps the Professor of Medicine was right all along
when he said doctors urgently need to find another way forward
and/or concentrate more on preserving kidney function?

[kitkatz]

Just getting the popcorn and lawn chairs out..... 

This should be a great argument.